My Town

Local students and teachers raise funds and awareness for Typhoon Haiyan relief

By Jean Bartlett

Pacifica Tribune Correspondent

Posted:
01/28/2014 05:03:31 PM PST

Updated:
01/28/2014 05:03:32 PM PST

On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, ripped across the central Philippines, leaving heartbreak and tragedy in its wake. Over 6,000 died, more than 27,000 were injured, 1,800 are still unaccounted for, and 3.9 million people have been displaced.

In the first few days following the aftermath, members of Oceana High School's Kapamilya Club hit the ground running, talking to students during breaks and at lunch about Haiyan. As described on their facebook page, the Kapamilya Club is "for any student interested in learning more about the Filipino culture, history, and current community issues." The club is connected with the larger community beyond Oceana, including with members of the local Pilipino Youth Coalition — San Mateo County (PYC-SMC) at the Liwanag Kultural Center in Daly City.

Through collaboration between Kapamilya and Interact Club, Penny Wars was initiated at Oceana to raise funds for Haiyan relief. Running from November through mid-December, and combined with funds raised through visual art/performing art teacher Graham Cruickshank's open mic fundraiser "FAME," Oceana students donated $1,504.54 for Typhoon Haiyan relief. In addition, Kapamilya got the word out on the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON).

Formed in 2003, NAFCON is a national multi-issue alliance of Filipino organizations and individuals in the United States serving to protect the rights and welfare of Filipinos by fighting for social, economic, and racial justice and equality. Active in 23 U.S. cities, since 2009, NAFCON has responded to all major typhoons and other calamities that have hit the Philippines. Consistently given the highest marks for their supportive and productive disaster relief, on November 13, NAFCON launched the Bay Area Taskforce Haiyan.

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Made up of Bay Area civic leaders, community organizations, businesses and faith groups, Taskforce Haiyan is a coordinated people-to-people, grassroots response to what has been described as one of the strongest typhoons in recorded history. Through Kapamilya's informational handouts on NAFCON, in-kind donations of clothing, medical/first aid supplies, and canned food were collected via drop-off in a centralized Oceana classroom. Kapamilya has also been participating in the efforts to build a San Mateo County chapter of Taskforce Haiyan along with many Westmoor High School students and staff, Skyline College students and staff, and community organizations like Laya in Daly City, and Migrante-San Mateo Organizing Committee.

To date, Taskforce Haiyan has raised over $730,000, of which $330,000 is from California alone. Taskforce Haiyan of Northern San Mateo County has raised over $25,000. All money raised has been wired directly to Taskforce Haiyan/NAFCON's partner organization in the Philippines, BALSA (Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan — Peoples Cooperation for the People). BALSA is a national grassroots relief and rehabilitation organization composed of broad church-based organizations, schools, disaster response NGOs, and individuals, working with victims of disasters in the Philippines.

Because of scandals of misappropriated funds in past disaster efforts, experts have warned that post-disaster reconstruction in the Philippines needs to be transparent. (Following the severe impact of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines in September of 2009, Rev. Benjamin Alforque, NAFCON president commented, "The real catastrophe is not the typhoon but the government neglect and corruption that led to the overwhelming number of avoidable casualties.")

"NAFCON/Taskforce Haiyan and BALSA have worked to provide an alternative avenue to provide relief efforts," said Sergio Robledo-Maderazo, Oceana High School chorus director and humanities teacher, "especially ones that focus on providing direct relief to the affected communities. Beyond the initial 'relief' stage, Taskforce Haiyan is organizing long-term to support the 'rebuilding' stage as well as to raise awareness about the needs to better prepare the country for future natural disasters. This includes pressuring the Philippine government to ensure that resources are allocated effectively in the future and that they are done so in a more transparent way."

The meetings of Taskforce Haiyan of Northern San Mateo are ongoing. The last meeting was held at St. Martin Episcopal Church in Daly City. They will do relief missions to the Philippines throughout the year.

"We are especially interested in supporting efforts to rebuild the educational infrastructure of affected communities," said Robledo-Maderazo, "since most attendees have been teachers and students from Jefferson Elementary School District, Jefferson Union High School District and Skyline College."